Action Alert, B&N FRAUD against Manifesto

Ok, I'm pretty mad right now. I just got back from Barnes & Noble. I was excited to go and see the new prominent position of The Manifesto, as it is now a bestseller in every sense of the word. Also, BN offers its members 40% off bestsellers (30% to everybody else) and I was going to get a few more copies.

However, it was still in the back corner of the sotre, bottom shelf, 3 copies. (there were 6 on April 30th an I bought two of them) I was under the apparenty mistaken impression that the BN Bestseller shelves featured prominently at the front of the store were for true bestsellers and I actually thought it was tied into the NYT list. NOT AT ALL.

A book can be #1 everywhere, INCLUDING at BN.com and they won't necessarily feature it on the bestseller shelf up front. There is not hard critera, either. Whatever IS selling or is projected to sell. READ: whichever publisher PAYS for the self space. It is FRAUD.

It should be the Barnes & Noble PICKS or FEATURES. They do not have to be ebstsellers to be up there and even if they are bestsellers they may not EVER make it up there.

The gaul of these people. Every book signing he does the store sells every copy they have in stock. Our meetup group placed a really nice 1/4 page ad in the paper today. We vote on the 20th, and RP will be here the 16th and 17th. We mentioned the book and the place on the NYT and Amazon lists. Ug, I'm so irritated.

If you feel like paying more, go buy it at the brick and mortar store. If you're smart, though, you'll buy it online for 1/2 the price and thereby give more credence to their argument that it isn't a bestseller IN the store.

We need to getour machiene out and start making calls and emails again. Fox news style.

Well...it is a private business. They can place the book anywhere they want in their own stores. If you have a problem with it then don't buy from them, let them know at your local B&N store how you feel and go elsewhere. If enough "The Revoulution" customers do the same, they'll get the idea, and want the business they've been sending to their competitors by choosing not to place the book in the 'spotlight'.

A book can be #1 everywhere, INCLUDING at BN.com and they won't necessarily feature it on the bestseller shelf up front. There is not hard critera, either. Whatever IS selling or is projected to sell. READ: whichever publisher PAYS for the self space. It is FRAUD.

email sent stating that the revolution has attorney's within our ranks and it seems more than likely that we have legal grounds for a false advertising/fraud suit against em so they may want to fix this issue asap before someone starts one

i recomend others do the same

Originally Posted by acptulsa

Liberty works best not because liberty is without responsibility, but because responsibility is part of the deal. Capitalism works best not because capitalists love us and want us to be happy, but because the more government you have, the more government they can buy, and if they have no government to buy then all they can do instead is compete--compete to serve us better.

Right, it is a private business. But a lot of towns, like this one, have one BIG bookstore where most people shop. It isn't about me wanting the book, it's about people knowing about it and having access to it.

No, it didn't get 40% off. They offer the standard 10% discount you get with paid membership and nothing if you don't have one.

We all need to call and send emails to let them know we will be buying the book "elsewhere." They made it abundantly clear to me that they had no decision making power at the local store. (and didn't really care either) If we all send an emai and make a phone call we can force a change in their practices.

Actually I have moved the books around the store. I leave one on the tbale where the reading chairs are and put one up front. They move them back pretty quickly.

... and not unlike grocery stores where the vendors/suppliers pay (mostly in discounts or higher margins to the store) to have their products placed in different parts of the store. It's not fraud, it's just how the business works and has worked for a long time. If the store makes more money per sale then they're more likely to display it prominently.

And.. more than likely the store manager doesn't have a say in what is shown in the "bestseller" display. That's something that is probably set by the buyers at the corporate office.

email sent stating that the revolution has attorney's within our ranks and it seems more than likely that we have legal grounds for a false advertising/fraud suit against em so they may want to fix this issue asap before someone starts one

i recomend others do the same

sorry i can't use the 'lawsuit' threat, i'd much rather use the "loss of future profits due to bad promotional/product placement policies" arguement first.

thank you.

yes it is fraud. if they want to call it something else, then fine, but they are nhot all bestsellers, and this book is. its deceptive.

Originally Posted by evilfunnystuff

email sent stating that the revolution has attorney's within our ranks and it seems more than likely that we have legal grounds for a false advertising/fraud suit against em so they may want to fix this issue asap before someone starts one

Right, it is a private business. But a lot of towns, like this one, have one BIG bookstore where most people shop. It isn't about me wanting the book, it's about people knowing about it and having access to it.

No, it didn't get 40% off. They offer the standard 10% discount you get with paid membership and nothing if you don't have one.

We all need to call and send emails to let them know we will be buying the book "elsewhere." They made it abundantly clear to me that they had no decision making power at the local store. (and didn't really care either) If we all send an emai and make a phone call we can force a change in their practices.

Actually I have moved the books around the store. I leave one on the tbale where the reading chairs are and put one up front. They move them back pretty quickly.

... and not unlike grocery stores where the vendors/suppliers pay (mostly in discounts or higher margins to the store) to have their products placed in different parts of the store. It's not fraud, it's just how the business works and has worked for a long time. If the store makes more money per sale then they're more likely to display it prominently.

No, it is fraud. Look at it this way: You walk into the grocery store and the butcher tells you Mr. Smith this is my bestselling cut of meat. All the other customers love it and I recommend you get it also. In fact, the farmer paid him to say that to you and the real quality stuff, the stuff most people really want and tend to buy is hidden in the back and you have to know it is there and ask for it. FRAUD.

Originally Posted by slacker921

And.. more than likely the store manager doesn't have a say in what is shown in the "bestseller" display. That's something that is probably set by the buyers at the corporate office.

correct. the local managers have No say. this is corporate. That is why we need to email and call.

Liberty works best not because liberty is without responsibility, but because responsibility is part of the deal. Capitalism works best not because capitalists love us and want us to be happy, but because the more government you have, the more government they can buy, and if they have no government to buy then all they can do instead is compete--compete to serve us better.

Remember - it's not #1 Bestseller on the NYTimes list until another week or so (don't remember exact date). They "leak" them ahead of time. I'd check back after the "effective date" of the list. If it's not in the bestsellers, complain like crazy.

Here's a direct link to customer service inquiries regarding B&N retail stores. Scroll down and you can send them an email.

In an angry moment I wrote this:

Count me among the legions who are extremely disappointed in B&N's bizarre behavior: according to today's New York Times, Ron Paul's The Revolution: A Manifesto is #7 in the country, yet the few copies your stores have are buried in the back somewhere. On the May 18 NYT list the book is at #1. Number one! And buried in your stores.

It's #2 on the Wall Street Journal list, sold out on Amazon (where it hit #1 on release), sold out at buy.com, and sold out at walmart.com.

And Barnes & Noble stocks three copies in the back of the store.

I guess I'm not following why you wouldn't keep up with, you know, books that are selling, and why you wouldn't want to get a piece of this.

It's #15 on your own site, for heaven's sake, and that includes paperbacks and fiction.

LOTS of people are upset about this. Please do the sensible thing and stock your stores. Thank you.

Remember - it's not #1 Bestseller on the NYTimes list until another week or so (don't remember exact date). They "leak" them ahead of time. I'd check back after the "effective date" of the list. If it's not in the bestsellers, complain like crazy.

Today's the effective date that the book is #7, and booksellers knew this 10 days ago. They knew it was skyrocketing up the Amazon charts months ago. How blockheaded can they be?

Here's a direct link to customer service inquiries regarding B&N retail stores. Scroll down and you can send them an email.

In an angry moment I wrote this:

Count me among the legions who are extremely disappointed in B&N's bizarre behavior: according to today's New York Times, Ron Paul's The Revolution: A Manifesto is #7 in the country, yet the few copies your stores have are buried in the back somewhere. On the May 18 NYT list the book is at #1. Number one! And buried in your stores.

It's #2 on the Wall Street Journal list, sold out on Amazon (where it hit #1 on release), sold out at buy.com, and sold out at walmart.com.

And Barnes & Noble stocks three copies in the back of the store.

I guess I'm not following why you wouldn't keep up with, you know, books that are selling, and why you wouldn't want to get a piece of this.

It's #15 on your own site, for heaven's sake, and that includes paperbacks and fiction.

LOTS of people are upset about this. Please do the sensible thing and stock your stores. Thank you.

Well once they start asking for them more and more they will end up stocking and promoting them I think. Money is money to a business i'm sure.

We need to get people buying the manifesto ALOT for it to create real buzz. Once the #1 list comes out I feel it will end up featured on many topshelfs in bookstores across the nation.

Remember it is the publisher they would be doing something wrong to NOT Ron Paul. As the publisher I would MAKE SURE wherever we have contracts that ALL of the authors get a ton of coverage just like any other.

Also since Ron Paul is a celebrity in his own right, the publisher KNOWS Ron Paul's name attached to anything would be pure gold and HOPEFULLY will make sure it gets displayed EVERYWHERE.